Low temperature melting lead-free glass compositions are known in the art. Such glasses are environmentally friendly and frits obtained from these glasses are useful in the preparation of glass enamel paste compositions which can be coated on glass or ceramic substrates and fused to provide decorative glazes and functional coatings on the substrates. Examples of such glass enamel paste compositions are those which are used as coatings for automotive and architectural glasses. The composition of these lead-free glass compositions is critical to the performance of the low melting glass frits prepared therefrom.
Reference can be made to the glass compositions disclosed in my copending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 09/066,533 and 09/066,534, both filed on Apr. 27, 1998 and Ser. No. 08/908,953, filed Aug. 8, 1997. Particular attention may also be directed to the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,554,258, PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,847, PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,252,521 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,326,591, PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,178, PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,308,803, PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,629,247, PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,285, No. 5,203,902 and PA1 U.K. Patent Publication No. 2 301 100 A, and PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,559,059 and No. 5,616,417. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,446,241, PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,537,862, PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,224,074, PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,312,951, PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,376,169, PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,504,045, PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,578,533, and PA1 International Application No. PCT/EP94/00403. PA1 U.S. Pat. No, 5,643,636, PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,848, PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,733,828, and PA1 Japanese patent publication No. 9-268026.
European Patent Application No. 0 370 683
Further illustrative of patent publications disclosing lead-free glass compositions are the following:
Finally, there may be mentioned the following patent publications:
All of the glass compositions disclosed by these patent publications and copending applications differ in certain critical respects from the novel compositions disclosed herein.